Three College of Staten Island (CSI) students are among the 28 participating in the CUNY Leadership Academy, the flagship leadership program of The City University of New York. Representing CSI are Peter DeCresenzo, History/Secondary Education; Nervana Gaballa, Communications; and Jose Saltos, Biochemistry.

Peter DeCrescenzo is a New York native who has lived on Staten Island for the past 11 years. With a 3.6 GPA, he has just successfully completed the 2007-2008 CSI Emerging Leaders Program where he attended ten workshops designed to teach students various leadership development skills and techniques. In addition, he completed a leadership project that brought nonprofit organizations to CSI to meet with students who were interested in volunteer opportunities on campus and in their respective communities.

Peter has been a member of the CSI Student Government for the past three semesters and is currently the CSI Student Government President. He is involved in numerous campus activities, including serving as a New Student Orientation Leader, a CSI Ambassador, and as a Student Aide in the Center for International Service. Peter is currently in the CUNY Pipeline Honors Program for the 2008-2009 academic year.

Nervana Gaballa is a New York native who currently resides in Brooklyn. She has just completed the 2007-2008 CSI Emerging Leaders Program. In addition, she completed a leadership project that brought awareness to CSI students about the dangers of smoking and poor nutrition. Nervana has been a freshman mentor through the DMX program at the College for the past year, was Vice President of the Pre-Medical Society during the last academic year, and is currently serving as the organization’s President for the 2008-2009 academic year.

Nervana is a member of The Verrazano School at CSI, Chi Alpha Epsilon Honor’s Society, and the SEEK for Excellence Club. She is a Research Assistant for in the CSI Chemistry Department, a Senator with CSI’s Student Government, and a contributor to the CSI Banner newspaper. After successfully completing her internship with Reach out and Read of Greater NY (a children’s literacy organization), she was recently hired as a program assistant.

Jose Saltos is a native of Ecuador. With a GPA of 3.3, he is a tutor of math and science in the C-STEP program, a member of the Black Male Initiative Program here at CSI, and also a Research Assistant in the Chemistry Department. Jose has just completed the 2007-2008 CSI Emerging Leaders Program. In addition, he completed a leadership project that brought together content experts in his field to speak with students at CSI, and he has just concluded an internship with the NIH/Howard University Amgen Scholars Program in Washington, DC. Jose is planning to complete his PhD in Chemistry and to become a university professor and researcher.

Robert King Kee, Coordinator of Student Leadership Development in the Office of Student Life, says, “All three students are active in various areas of student leadership on campus, clubs and organizations, volunteer service, and civic engagement. We are very proud of the leadership they are providing to the entire CSI community.”

The CUNY Leadership Program provides a unique opportunity for students who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership on their campuses and in their communities. This innovative year-long program is bringing together best practices in leadership development from across CUNY and beyond. The current CLP Fellows experience state of the art leadership education that includes emphases on service, community building, global perspectives, and innovation.

The CUNY Leadership Academy reports having received nearly 150 nominations and choosing 60 students from among that group for the interview stage, which led to the final selection of the inaugural cohort of 28.

The CUNY Leadership Academy and its participants work at a number of levels to develop leadership programs and curricula across the University.